ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — a path
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — the month
  16. cell — in biology
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — finally
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — music
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com